The Natomas Unified School District tonight approved a statement related to the Sacramento County District Attorney’s intent to seek restitution in the conflict-of-interest case of Frank C. Harding.
According to school district trustee Lisa Kaplan, comments previously made by Superintendent Steve Farrar and school district trustee Teri Burns about whether the Natomas Unified School District would pursue restitution were taken out of context.
“In court the D.A. inferred to the judge that he was acting on behalf of the Board,” Kaplan writes to THE BUZZ. “Actually, this was not the case. The District and Board cooperated with the D.A. during the entire investigation and at no time prior to the trial was the issue of restitution presented to the Board or District.”
Kaplan says statements made by Burns and Farrar were “that they were not aware that it was in the district’s purview (to seek restitution), that we had to make a decision, and the district was not aware that it was required as a condition of probation.”
As a result of tonight’s meeting, the Natomas Unified School District will continue working with the District Attorney’s office as it seeks restitution in the Harding case.
Kaplan says this decision relates solely to the Harding’s conviction and probation. Issues surrounding the purchase of the West Lakeside property are part of a different investigation.
B, why in the world didn’t Steve F demand restitution before? I don’t get it.
Really, really awkward situation. Michael Cannon (Harding’s business partner) is Assistant Superintendent for Facilities and Planning at NUSD. I only bring this up because I’d like to hear his take on what has happened, and I think we need some sunshine on any continuing outside business interests that may relate.
I wish I had the Bee story when Harding was convicted, I seem to remember the superintendent clearly said the district will not seek compensation for the felony crimes this puke committed, further making the case Natomas Dist. is as incompetent as Harding. This dist. does an OK job considering the diversity and inner city kids who are fatherless and and have no direction at home, but the top leadership lack judgement on many issues and trying to protect the thug Harding and then make up a lame excuse that there was a miscomminication, is even more stupid.
Mr. Farrar defends him saying that he gave the district a good deal. PLLEEESSEE. The schools he built are all ugly. THey all look lifeless with little landscaping and even less grass. They look like prisons! I did not realize we lived in the inner city! Whatever happened to building a school that looks beautiful so the kids have a good learning environment? Clearly the schools, even at the “below market” price as Mr. Farrar likes to refer to them, were no bargain.
It’s so typical of our District to go easy on the offender. They do it in our schools with students who commit minor ‘rules’ offenses, and then they extend the policy to criminals such as Frank Harding who actually get indicted for their offenses. If the entire country operated with this mindset of always trying to help people feel good about themselves above all else, and rules, laws, guidelines, moral codes etc stopped being relevant, I wouldn’t want to live here. I believe this policy has contributed to the criminal behavior of our youth, demonstrated so dramatically this summer…they are all most likely products of our district schools. One thing among many that I like about America is how most people agree about having rules to live by. This actually gives us more freedom to enjoy our lives. Letting people like Frank Harding off the hook for stealing our taxpayer money just drives me nuts. If Dr. Farrar had to pay the additional l0% tax for measures D and E (in addition to the prop taxes we pay in Natomas)he might also be thinking twice about how this kind of corruption affects him personally. If HIS house had been burgled this summer, he might be rethinking the lack of discipline matrices in our schools. His whole mindset might change if he experienced it up close and personal like we all have.